In memory of a beloved Kill the Can Family member we celebrate the life of Cliff. From his brother Big Brother Jack.
Dr. David J. Clifford 01 Dec 1967 - 10 Sept 2006
My little Brother and the reason I keep the lights on in the 2006 March No Chew Crue everyday Dr. David J. Clifford ( Cliff )
was only 38 years old when he passed ... He was a Analytical Chemist at the Energy Institute at Penn State University State College , PA ( He received his Bachelors of Science at Wilkes University in Chemistry, Masters in Chemistry at Penn State, and a PhD in Chemistry & Materials Science and Engineering (Fuel Science) also at Penn State.) . He died Sunday 10 Sept 2006. Cliff was born in Pottsville, PA on 1 Dec 1967 which is a small Coal Region area of PA that churns out Hard Working Blue Collar Badass's mostly ... Dave was destined for that and so much more ... He married Caroline Burgess on Aug. 23, 2003 in a spectacular Mountain Side Wedding on the slopes of Tussey Mountain and they resided in the "Happy Valley" of Penn State till his death.
Dave's closet addiction to Copenhagen was the Polar opposite of who he was as a person ... He was the quiet , quirky , and usually the funniest guy in the room along with being one of the smartest ( One of the things I miss the most is how he could disrupt the entire room with just one well placed comment lol ) Dave would disappear at Penn State Football Games for 30-45 minutes of Tailgating at a shot ( I actually found out by reading some of his original posts that he would go and hide out by the Port a John's away from us to Dip ). Then he found the original Quit Site QS1 ( Quit Smokeless ) and met the likes of Chewie , Remshot & QT (QuittinTime) (amongst many other quitters who he befriended ) where he , like most of us here , began forming friendships with people through the internet ... For those reading this that are not aware of how I came to be B.ig B.rother J.ack here on KTC it has only to do with the fact that Cliff had left on his computer in his office and when I went there after he died the Chat Room for QS was open and I began to read and eventually reached out to tell them that Cliff had passed (The Hardest Day I have ever had in my Life).
From Cliff's Posts and what I have pieced together from everyone that knew him through texts and phone calls he would have been probably the most interactive "VET" that KTC would have ever had ... The Brotherhood he formed helped him to Quit and Stay Quit till the very day he left us ( The level of conversation and humor I read was amazing and although he never had the chance to meet anyone in person he had indeed created friendship for life ) ... I know he is so Proud of everything he sees from wherever he is now looking at what all of this has become and my only hope is I am honoring his name and memory by carrying on something I feel he had a hand in creating with the original group that went on to be KilltheCan.org.
Some of Cliff's "Notes" he compiled and shared over his time on the Boards ! Cliff's Notes B.ig B.rother J.ackA quote from Cliff himself
"The 2 things keeping me going are my wife and QS.org. Nothing else...well my motorcycle too, just a little... My wife, QS.org and my motorcycle are all I need. And my coffee...Mmmmmm coffee. My wife, QS.org, my motorcycle and a cup of java and I'm good to go. Oh and my doggies...three little cutie Ozzy shepherds. Yep that's what's keeping me honest thru my quit...my wife, QS.org, my motorcycle, caffeine and three loud smelly dogs that live in my house instead of in the yard where animals belong. Did I mention my extended family - older brother with seven kids and the parents...love those people ! Talk about security, sheesh I've got my wife, QS.org, a 250 cc bike even girl scouts think is uncool, my Fuckin' caffeine addiction, 3 mangy dependents that can't even mow the lawn, and my fantastic family. Wow do I have a whole lot to be thankful for. All along I thought all I had left to fall back on were my good looks and boyish charm. I've got those, a wife that can't even make a decent salad, a bunch of whiny egotistical ex-dippers always looking for a pat on the ass, a gay bike, a $4/day Starbucks habit, loud smelly annoying dogs that let me pick up their shit twice a day, and my family living within drop-in distance from our house. That's what makes me feel secure." --
Cliff
